“Un-hiding” knowledge in organizations: the role of climate for innovation, social exchange and social identification

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahul Sukumaran ◽  
Parijat Lanke

Purpose Knowledge hiding is a phenomenon in organizations that is commonly observed to be detrimental to the performance of employees. The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework, which uses social exchange theory and social identity theory to advance an understanding of how climate for innovation can dampen the negative impact of knowledge hiding on performance. Design/methodology/approach We have reviewed papers on the concept of knowledge hiding, social identity theory, social exchange theory as well as the literature on climate for innovation, in order to draw the relationships and propose a framework. Findings Based on the papers reviewed, this study conceptually advances the understanding that an organizational factor such as “climate for innovation” would prove beneficial to check and reduce knowledge hiding behavior i.e. unhide the knowledge and subsequently improve performance of employees in organizations. Practical implications This study proposes climate for innovation, as a factor that would influence the negative impact of knowledge hiding on performance. It is under the control of the managers to create such environment in their teams and the work settings, which would help un-hide the knowledge, and thereby promoting performance at workplace. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature on knowledge hiding as well as the climate for innovation. This is the first work to propose an interaction of climate of innovation with knowledge hiding behavior and their overall impact on performance. The framework is explained in a simple term, to bridge the gap between academics and practitioner world.

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 577-601 ◽  
Author(s):  
David N. Herda ◽  
James J. Lavelle

SYNOPSIS In this paper, we examine individual auditors' identification with, and commitment to, privately held clients, and their effects on auditor objectivity. Client identification reflects the extent to which an auditor's self-concept and self-definition are derived from a perceived oneness with the client. In contrast, client commitment reflects a responsibility for and a dedication to the client, but the auditor and client remain separate psychological entities. Drawing from the unique perspectives of social identity theory and social exchange theory, we hypothesize and find that client identification is distinct from client commitment. Further, we hypothesize and find that client identification and client commitment have different effects on auditor objectivity. Specifically, client identification is negatively related to auditor objectivity, whereas client commitment is positively related. The findings of this study apply predominantly to the audit of private companies where clients are more likely to exert influence over auditors and auditors may be less likely to withstand client pressures. Data Availability: Please contact the first author.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 30-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parijat Lanke

Purpose This paper intends to put forward the role of interpersonal (in)justice among co-workers and their individual expertise as important factors contributing to knowledge hiding behavior. The paper is written with an intent to explain a conceptual model for practitioners’ benefit. The work is novel and covers the latest construct in the field of knowledge management and human resource management. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual framework is elaborated with a brief explanation of the theory that helps explain it. The framework although being novel in itself, the explanation has been drawn from existing literature. Findings If the co-workers do not treat each other with dignity and respect, it hampers their relationship. This in turn makes them hide knowledge from each other and at the same time if one of them holds an expertise power over the other, this behavior would be more enhanced. The whole relationship could be explained using social exchange theory. This holds implications for managers, especially when knowledge management is of paramount importance to a company for its sustenance. Practical implications This work provides new insights into knowledge hiding behavior by employees. Certain ways to reduce this behavior are proposed. Originality/value This paper is the one of the few written with an intent to bring knowledge hiding and its causes, to executives, in an easy to digest form. The concept is also newly introduced and these factors have not yet been brought up by any other researcher in the field.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 156-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bodo B. Schlegelmilch ◽  
Mubbsher Munawar Khan ◽  
Joe F. Hair

Purpose – Halal food endorsements perceived positively by the focal target group may lead to a negative reaction of consumers that harbor animosity against this target group. For such potentially controversial endorsements, in-group animosity against out-group associated product endorsements could lead to a rejection and even an outspoken disapproval of these food products. The purpose of this paper is to explain what drives in-group reactions to Halal endorsements. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use Social Identity Theory and the Social Dominance Theory in explaining animosity toward out-groups and willingness to buy products with Halal endorsements. Specifically, the authors analyze the reaction of more than 800 in-group majority Christians toward out-group minority Muslim directed Halal endorsements. Following the development of hypotheses and a conceptual model, structural equation modeling is used to measure the relationships between the constructs. Findings – Constructs based on Social Dominance Theory and Social Identity Theory predict animosity toward out-group endorsements, but the relationship between Social Dominance Theory and animosity is much stronger. Animosity is a mediator between these two constructs and willingness to purchase products with out-group focussed endorsements (Halal). Research limitations/implications – The research has been conducted in one particular country (Austria) and focusses on a specific type of controversial endorsement, namely a religious (Halal) endorsement. Other research contexts (i.e. other countries and/or different types of controversial endorsements) should be used to widen the empirical base and validate the findings. Practical implications – Marketers should be aware of a possible negative impact of out-group focussed endorsements. In particular, they should be cognizant that racism and ethnocentrism prevailing in a society could reduce the purchase intent of in-groups. Social implications – Efforts are required to combat the drivers of animosity between in-groups and out-groups. This paper provides insights on how this may be achieved. Originality/value – This study focusses on a hitherto neglected phenomenon, i.e. controversial endorsements. It uses two alternative theories and advances the understanding of the role of animosity in a domestic consumer setting; an issue that has nearly exclusively been discussed with regard to cross-border purchasing.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nawar N. Chaker ◽  
Edward L. Nowlin ◽  
Doug Walker ◽  
Nwamaka A. Anaza

Purpose Salespeople frequently face the predicament of wanting to protect their market knowledge from coworkers while not appearing recalcitrant. Considering the choice of disclosing information or refusing to disclose, they may choose a third option: appearing to share knowledge while concealing substantive information, which this study calls evasive knowledge hiding. This study surmises that the consequences of these choices impact perceptions of customer outcomes. Using social exchange theory, the purpose of this article is to examine the internal relational antecedents and perceptions of external customer outcomes of evasive knowledge hiding, as well as the moderating effects of pushover manager and environmental dynamism. Design/methodology/approach A moderated mediation model was used to analyze survey data from 234 business-to-business salespeople. Findings Internal competition and coworkers’ past opportunistic behavior increase evasive knowledge hiding. These effects are attenuated if the manager is not a pushover. Evasive knowledge hiding decreases perceptions of external customer outcomes, particularly at low levels of environmental dynamism. Research limitations/implications Data was collected from salespeople, which presents a look from perpetrators themselves. While directly observing salespeople was the goal, sourcing and matching customer and manager data would only strengthen the results. Practical implications Salespeople evasively hide their knowledge if it is in their best interest, which may unwittingly hurt perceptions of customer outcomes. Originality/value This study formally introduces salesperson evasive knowledge hiding into the marketing and sales literature. The research highlights the dark side of social exchange theory by demonstrating how internal coworker relationships affect perceptions of external customer relationships via evasive knowledge hiding. This study also introduces pushover manager as an enabling moderating variable.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Athar Nadeem ◽  
Zhiying Liu ◽  
Usman Ghani ◽  
Amna Younis ◽  
Yi Xu

PurposeThis study, based on social exchange theory, aims to explore knowledge hiding behavior in relation to shared goals of individuals working in teams and trust (cognitive-based trust and affective-based trust) as a boundary condition on shared goals and knowledge hiding relationship.Design/methodology/approachA total sample of 270 reliable questionnaires are collected from university students in China. SPSS and AMOS are employed for the data analysis of the proposed model.FindingsFindings of the study have indicated that shared goals are negatively associated with knowledge hiding behavior. Furthermore, trust (cognitive-based trust and affective-based trust) moderates the relationship between shared goals and knowledge hiding behavior.Practical implicationsThis study has provided empirical proof and in-depth understanding and recommendations for supervisors and administrative authorities to form the culture of groups/teams with shared goals to reduce the undesirable individual behaviors.Originality/valueThis study, among the first empirical studies investigating the relationship between shared goals and knowledge hiding behavior, trust as a moderator, enriches the existing academic literature of and provides valuable insight into the research on knowledge hiding and knowledge management.


2021 ◽  
pp. 227797522198910
Author(s):  
Md. Aftab Uddin ◽  
Mohammad Tahlil Azim ◽  
Mohammad Moinul Haque

Compliance to legal requirements and standards prescribed by international certification bodies and/or foreign buyers in the readymade garments (RMG) industry in Bangladesh is a burning issue regarding a safer working environment for employees. The present study examines the mediating effects of job satisfaction and organizational attraction on the relationship between the compliance and turnover intention. Research questions, hypotheses and research objectives are developed from the premises of job demands–resources (JD-R) theory, social exchange theory, social identity theory and prior empirical findings. Data are collected from 444 workers of the RMG industry through a multi-item survey instrument. We analyse the collected data using covariate-based structural equation modelling though AMOS (version 20). Results show that all of the direct influences except that of compliance on turnover intention are significant. The findings confirm that compliance acts as a distal antecedent of employee turnover intention through its mediating influences via job satisfaction and organizational attraction. The study sheds light on the significance of maintaining the provisions of compliance by the RMG in Bangladesh. It makes robust empirical and theoretical contributions to the extant literature. First, it supplements the inadequate documentation in RMG and other clothing industries. Unlike other studies on compliance in the RMG sector, this study measures compliance from the perspective of both the employer and the employees. Second, the study also makes a complementary contribution to the organizational attraction research by focusing on current employees rather than prospective employees. Finally, a little pursuit is evident in using theory and empirical proof together in the RMG industry. Hence, it aims to validate the theoretical account of the JD-R theory, social identity theory and social exchange theory in the context of a developing country.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeeshan Ahmed Bhatti ◽  
Ghulam Ali Arain ◽  
Hina Mahboob Yasin ◽  
Muhammad Asif Khan ◽  
Muhammad Shakaib Akram

PurposeDrawing on social identity theory and prosocial behaviour research, this study explores how people's integration of their offline and online social activities through Facebook cultivates their Facebook citizenship behaviour (FCB). It also offers further insight into the underlying mechanism of offline and online social activity integration - FCB relation by investigating people's social identification with their offline and online social groups as possible mediators.Design/methodology/approachBased on social identity theory (SIT) literature, community citizenship behaviour and offline-online social activity integration through Facebook, we developed a conceptual model, which was empirically tested using data from 308 Facebook usersFindingsThe results confirm that the participants' offline-online social activity integration via Facebook is positively linked to their FCB. Further, the integration of offline and online social activity through Facebook positively affects how a person identifies with their offline and online social groups, which in turn causes them to display FCB. In addition, offline/online social identification mediates the integration – FCB relation.Practical implicationsIn practice, it is interesting to see people's tendency towards altruistic behaviours within groups they like to associate themselves with. Those who share their Facebook network with their offline friends can use such network to seek help and support.Originality/valueFrom a theoretical perspective, unlike past research, this study examines how individuals' offline-online social activity integration via Facebook helps them associate with groups. In addition, this study investigates social identification from an offline and online perspective.


2015 ◽  
Vol 115 (6) ◽  
pp. 1041-1066 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Li ◽  
Gang Li ◽  
Taiwen Feng

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships among suppliers’ trust and commitment, transaction-specific investment, switching cost, and customer involvement within the context of relational governance mechanism and the social exchange theory. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use survey data from 214 Chinese manufacturing firms and employ the structural equation model to verify the conceptual model. Findings – Relational governance benefits customer involvement. Transaction-specific investment mediates the relationship between trust and commitment of suppliers. Switching costs negatively moderate the relationship between suppliers’ trust and customer involvement, but positively moderate the relationship between suppliers’ commitment and customer involvement. Research limitations/implications – The authors focus on two key elements of relationship, namely, trust and commitment of suppliers, but neglect other relational factors, such as relational norms and interdependence. Originality/value – These findings broaden the understanding and present new directions for the implementation of customer involvement from the perspective of relational governance and social exchange theory.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torsten Schmidts ◽  
Deborah Shepherd

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use social identity theory to explore factors that contribute to the development of family social capital. Effects are investigated both for the family and the business. Design/methodology/approach – A single in-depth case study focussing on the family unit was coducted within a fourth-generation family business involved in the arts retailing. Findings – The findings suggest that social identity theory is a useful lens to explore the development of family social capital. The six themes identified highlight that there is a normative and an affective dimension, leading to family members’ desire to uphold the status of the business. Evidence suggests that the normative factors may be both positively and negatively related to the development of family social capital, due to their potentially restrictive nature. Originality/value – The paper’s findings imply that social identity can contribute to understanding family dynamics. Evidence highlights various factors for family members that are not involved in the family business to uphold its status. This is attributed to the emotional significance of the business to the family’s identity. Furthermore, this paper suggests that the strong focus on norms and values, which developed gradually, may have adverse effects on the identification with the business and the willingness to uphold its status. Propositions are offered to provide guidance for future research to investigate this controversial evidence regarding the impact of value orientation on family social capital.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Maria Kanzola ◽  
Konstantina Papaioannou ◽  
Panagiotis E. Petrakis

PurposeThis study examines the relationship between rationality and creativity by means of social identity theory for the Greek society (2019–2020).Design/methodology/approachThe outline of the social identity was given through self-categorization via a distributed questionnaire. The types of behavior (rational, nonrational and loss-averse) were determined by using questions based on the Allais paradox. Principal components analysis (PCA) is used to extract the causal relationships.FindingsThe study findings demonstrate that rational individuals are more prompt to creative personality than nonrational individuals. Rational individuals are motivated to pursue creativity through life-improvement goals. Loss-averse individuals are driven through the contradictive incentive of adventure-seeking behavior without, however, being willing to easily give up their established assets.Originality/valueThis article contributes by explaining creativity among rational, nonrational and loss-averse individuals as a product of social identity theory. This contributes to the literature, by proposing that the application of social theories in economics could constitute a different foundation for economics. This refers to the notion of the social microfoundations of the political economy and macroeconomics.


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